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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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560<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

Svalbard, Norway was also a part of the Chinese IPY<br />

program, and involved long-term observations for<br />

space physics and space environment. Also during the<br />

summer 2008, a group of scientists conducted observations<br />

in biology, glacier, geology and microbiomass.<br />

By participating in other countries’ cruises during<br />

IPY, Chinese scientists were involved as international<br />

collaborators to conduct certain field observations.<br />

Chinese scientists took part in three U.S. icebreaker<br />

Healy cruises in 2007, 2008 and 2009, to explore icecovered<br />

Bering Sea in spring to study optics in both<br />

water and sea ice (Fig. 5.3-3). During the winter of<br />

2007–08, a group of Chinese scientists was aboard<br />

the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen for three months.<br />

During the through-winter cruise, they conducted<br />

artificial light experiment on sea ice in dark condition<br />

(Fig. 5.3-4). Two groups of scientists were aboard the<br />

Canadian icebreaker, Louis S. St. Laurent, to observe<br />

water optics in central Canada Basin in 2006 and 2009.<br />

By these international collaborative activities, Chinese<br />

scientists involve themselves in Arctic science frontiers<br />

and extended their research to a wider area.<br />

Thanks to China emerging data-sharing plan, this<br />

data will be also analyzed alongside findings obtained<br />

by other large-scale IPY Arctic projects, such as the<br />

European DAMOCLES program, thus contributing<br />

to a complex and uniquely detailed perspective on<br />

Arctic processes. By 2012, China intends to launch<br />

a new icebreaker, so that it can conduct both Arctic<br />

and Antarctic research more effectively, and mount<br />

expeditions to both poles in the same year more<br />

frequently.<br />

India<br />

The National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research<br />

(NCAOR) is a nodal Indian agency for Southern<br />

Ocean research and for launching Indian scientific expeditions<br />

to the Antarctic and the Arctic. Since 1981,<br />

29 expeditions have been launched to Antarctica.<br />

India joined the Antarctic Treaty System in 1983 and<br />

operates a permanent station Maitri in Antarctica<br />

(70°45’57”S, 11°44’09”E), which was established during<br />

1988−1989 at Schirmacher Oasis. During research expeditions,<br />

data are being collected in many fields, including<br />

glaciology, earth sciences, upper atmosphere<br />

and astronomy, meteorology, geomagnetism and bi-<br />

ology. Other studies relate to cold region engineering,<br />

communication, human physiology and medicine. In<br />

addition, NCAOR houses Antarctic lake studies, Antarctic<br />

and global change research, and the National<br />

Antarctic Data Centre (NADC).<br />

During IPY, India initiated the process for<br />

construction of its second station, Bharati at Larseman<br />

Hills at Ingrid Christensen Coast that will be completed<br />

by 2012. This state-of-art station will be located at 69°S,<br />

76°E. Upon its completion, India will join the exclusive<br />

group of nine nations having multiple stations south of<br />

the Antarctic Circle. The new research base is planned<br />

to have a life span of 25 years. It shall accommodate<br />

25 people during summer and 15 people during the<br />

wintertime. The Bharati Station will advance research<br />

in meteorology and atmospheric studies; earth<br />

sciences; oceanography; biology and environmental<br />

assessment.<br />

During IPY India also expanded its polar interests to<br />

include research on Svalbard in the Arctic. In August<br />

2007, a pilot expedition was organized and in early<br />

2008, a second phase of Arctic research was initiated.<br />

Research was conducted on snowpack production<br />

of carbon monoxide and its diurnal variability; sea<br />

ice microbial communities; carbon cycling in the<br />

near-shore environments of Kongsfjorden; and<br />

understanding the links between the Arctic and<br />

tropical Indian Ocean climatic variations. In July 2008,<br />

India established a new research station Himadri in Ny<br />

Ålesund on Svalbard, about 1200 km from the North<br />

Pole through a Memorandum of Understanding with<br />

the Norwegian <strong>Polar</strong> Institute. The station is managed<br />

by NCAOR and research at Himadri will take place yearround<br />

with a special emphasis on climate change.<br />

For the IPY science program, India contributed two<br />

projects of NCAOR that were endorsed by the IPY Joint<br />

Committee:<br />

Monitoring of the upper ocean circulation, transport<br />

and water masses between Africa and Antarctica (IPY no.<br />

70, Alvarinho J. Luis, PI – Fig. 5.3-5). Profiling of density<br />

structure in the upper 1 km of the Southern Ocean<br />

was carried out from January 2007 through summer<br />

2009 by launching expendable CTD probes from a<br />

cruising ship between South Africa and Antarctica,<br />

chartered under the Indian Antarctic program (Fig.<br />

5.3-6). The hydrographic data so collected have been<br />

analyzed for quantifying the changes in the vertical

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